L-R: Professor Sophia Nimphius, Professor Dawn Penney, Professor Caroline Mansfield, Katie Brown (Outdoors WA) and Dr David Aldous.
Two major industry players in outdoor education have celebrated the launch of a new partnership. The move aims to redefine, grow, and shape high-quality professional learning, research strategy, and engagement at the local, national, and international levels.
Outdoors WA is the peak industry body for the outdoor sector in Western Australia, including recreation and education, and adventure tourism. Compatibly, Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a key higher education provider of health and physical education teachers in the State.
Outdoors WA Chief Executive Officer Katie Brown said the joint signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ECU was a significant first step in together creating real-world impact for future generations.
L-R: Professor Caroline Mansfield, Executive Dean of Education at ECU and Katie Brown, CEO of Outdoors WA.
"Outdoors WA exists to provide advocacy, leadership, and support to the outdoor industry in Western Australia. Our vision is to see every Western Australian spending two hours a week active outdoors, the globally recognised time for optimal health benefits," Ms Brown said.
"Together with senior health and physical education researchers and educators from ECU, we aim to explore projects and activities aligned to our shared values and vision."
Redefining outdoor learning
Project lead Dr David Aldous, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education from the School of Education at ECU, said the collaboration would empower people to have opportunities to actively participate in outdoor learning across communities and in schools.
"Through this exciting new partnership with Outdoors WA, we will enhance capacity to grow and offer opportunities for outdoor learning that is lifelong, life-wide, and with a focus on communities," Dr Aldous said.
Since running forums to engage with and listen to industry, education and community stakeholders, Dr Aldous said it was clear that ECU could play a pivotal part in supporting Outdoors WA's vision for the State and beyond.
"ECU is determined to play a leading role in driving professional learning and developing a future workforce that will enable growth in outdoor activities so people can participate at any age and any level," he said.
The scope of the collaboration will include the design, implementation, and evaluation of high-quality professional learning for pre-service, graduate, and experienced teachers of outdoor education and related industry professionals in WA.
"Our goal is to support the development of lifelong educators in both regional and metropolitan communities," Dr Aldous expressed.
"In addition to identifying the needs of the sector, through this partnership we have established a working group of teachers, tertiary education and industry representatives to co-design professional learning activities, workshops, and knowledge enhancement to shape curriculum design, key policies, and future directions."
Dr Aldous said outdoor education in schools plays a major role, but it's not the end game:
"We want to prepare teachers and future educators with the tools, knowledge, and vision to work with industry and community organisations to prepare young people for continuing outdoor activities once they've finished school."
Bridging global connections with community
A key component of the partnership will see ECU develop a research strategy for Outdoors WA that will have a positive impact on industry, education, and community stakeholders. Combining professional learning and research, the alliance will strengthen joint engagement activities to disseminate research and other professional outcomes within and outside Australia.
Co-lead Professor Dawn Penney, Vice Chancellor's Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Education at ECU, said the partnership recognises and reflects broader trends in sport and varied forms of physical activity participation in community.
"Outdoor learning occurs in many ways and places, and presents both challenges and opportunities for organisations, institutions and individuals across government, private, not for profit and commercial sectors to help facilitate that for the benefit of individuals and communities. In turn, outdoor learning has social, economic, physical and mental wellbeing benefits across the lifespan, both within and beyond formal institutions," Professor Penney stated.
She said the partnership provides a foundation where research underpins and is integral to teaching and engagement.
"An aspiration moving forward is seeing more students pursue higher degree by research postgraduate opportunities in this area, by co-creating research with communities and industry alongside the next generation of research educators," she said.
"In addition, national and international collaborations with Griffith University (Queensland), University College Cork (Ireland), Cardiff Metropolitan University/Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd (Wales) and industry partners in Wales/Cymru (UK) are already underway, and ECU looks forward to disseminating our learnings and showcasing sustainable impact in practice on the global stage alongside Outdoors WA."
Dr Aldous, Ms Brown and partners will present the initial impact of the partnership and possibilities of outdoor learning in WA at the 23rd National Outdoor Education Conference convened by the Outdoor Educators Association of Queensland in September 2026 and at the AIESEP 2027 International Conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands in July next year.
Want to get involved?
ECU and Outdoors WA welcome engagement from industry and community partners across both regional and metropolitan areas who share their values and vision to get in touch.
